You never realize how important some moments are, until you look back and see the impact they had over a lifetime. Game changing leaders see the future and ask themselves, how can I leverage my influence now, to positively impact someone else’s life later? Coincidentally, that’s the central question I’ve been asking myself as a…
Author: Samuel Wakefield
Flying Solo
I love those movies that give you a glimpse of what life would be like if something dramatic changed (aka learning it’s a wonderful life after all). This weekend, I got that glimpse with my wife out of town in Nashville. For 3 days, it was me solo with the girls for the first time……
Embrace the mess
Yesterday at church we started a new series entitled, Address the Mess, and it got me thinking about a picture I posted recently on social media of our home on a typical Saturday morning. I got a lot of commentary on this picture when I posted it earlier, it resonated with folks which didn’t surprise me….
When ideas become things
It’s remarkable when as a parent you get to see the fruition of seeds that you’ve planted in your kids begin to come to life in the actions they’re taking. Last weekend one of my best friends visited for a wedding and he noticed the behavior of my girls, and declared to the oldest, “one…
Losing yourself
An often quoted scripture is Jesus’s warning, what good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Growing up I always wondered about that particular saying…how could one gain everything that they seemingly always wanted and somehow manage to lose what’s most important, the very essence of who…
Decisions, Decisions…
It’s not hard to know what decisions to make, once you know your values- Roy E. Disney Last night I attended the annual Coca Cola Scholars Banquet, where we celebrated the incoming class of Coke Scholars. These are brilliant high school seniors who have taken on the mantle of leadership in their communities and have,…
Traditions
Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire- Gustav Mahler I love this quote because it highlights the reality that we must first examine our traditions in order to determine their relevancy. Why do we do what we do as families? And is this practice still meaningful to us based on our…
random observations on a beautiful afternoon
You ever just sit back and observe your kids, like in their natural elements? Sometimes I just like to sit back and watch my girls do their thing. It’s in these moments that I get to see their true personality shine through. Earlier today I took the girls to the park to give my wife…
My experience shadowing a student (part 1)
Today I had the good fortune to shadow a student at one of the local high schools that I support. In my day job, I serve as a facilitator for charter system implementation for our school district, responsible for helping a cohort of schools on the south side of Atlanta move towards local autonomy, decision-making,…
Knowing who you are
Three things have converged recently to impact how I view my role as a father (and husband), raising kids with my wife. First, as a result of reading the book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, I went back and re-wrote my personal vision and mission statements. Second, this past weekend on a trip to…
everyday fatherhood 